# Intellectuals Lament Books' Death for Decades

> Why reading decline fears are overblown.
- Title: Intellectuals Lament Books' Death for Decades · Slate Magazine
- Summary: Why reading decline fears are overblown. Smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy, but solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed.
- Keywords: smartphones, tiktok, literacy, reading, short-form video, democracy, print books, enlightenment, oral culture, Intellectuals, Lament, Books'
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/culture/2026/10/literacy-ai-books-reading-tiktok-smartphones-dark-ages.html?via=rss
- Author: Laura Miller
- Published: 2026-10-11T09:40:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: smartphones, tiktok, ai, literacy, reading, short-form video, democracy, print books, enlightenment, oral culture
## James Marriott's book
Marriott argues smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy.

> The End of Reading Is Here
## Historical context
Marriott traces print culture's role in the 18th-century Enlightenment.
## Past warnings
Neil Postman warned TV shifted discourse to fragmented information in 1985.
## Current concerns
Smartphones and short-form video are making reading less complex.
## Historical parallels
Marriott repeats arguments used to champion social media.
## Criticism
Marriott's claims are seen as clichés by modern readers.
## Solutions needed
Remedies for tech addiction and resisting algorithmic charms are lacking.
## The problem
Short-form video reduces complex arguments to superficial skimming.
## Democracy at risk
Democracy depends on informed citizens with sustained rational capabilities.
## What next
Solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed.
## Key takeaway

Smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy, but solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed.